B.J. Novak's Star-Studded Hulu Anthology Series Is Almost Impossible To Watch

In the streaming era, it can feel like all things are available at all times. Like movie and television history, in its infinity, is at our disposal with just the few clicks of a button. It's often overwhelming. It's also not remotely true. Not only are numerous classics not available on any streaming service or to rent through digital retailers, but even recent shows that were made for this era have disappeared. B.J. Novak's "The Premise" is one such example.

Novak, who most will recognize as Ryan from "The Office," is far more than just an actor. He's also a writer, producer, and director who put on multiple hats in 2021 when he made "The Premise" for FX. The anthology series consists of five episodes, each covering a different, modern issue. The official synopsis for the show reads as follows:

"'The Premise' is a bold and provocative half-hour anthology of standalone stories about the times we live in. The curated collection of character-driven episodes challenges our shared morality tales, choosing art over argument, as it engages with the most relevant and meaningful issues of the modern era."

"The Premise" aired on FX and also streamed on Hulu in fall 2021. The show tackled topics like guns, identity, social justice, sex, capitalism, revenge, love, fame, social media, and even butt plugs. Unfortunately, if any of that sounds interesting to you, it's nearly impossible to watch right now. As of this writing, the series is not available to stream on any major service, nor is it available to rent via VOD. It's almost like it never existed. That's all the more surprising when looking at the talent involved in the show. Yet, it's not at all uncommon in today's shifting media climate.

When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, Hollywood doubled down on streaming in a big way. Netflix had already cemented streaming as the future, but the pandemic accelerated everything. Unfortunately, after a couple of years of rapid spending and expansion, Hollywood at large had a come to Jesus moment. In 2023, Disney began pulling shows and movies off of Disney+ and Hulu en masse. Other streamers like HBO Max followed suit.

Many of these shows and movies were produced exclusively for streaming, meaning they had no Blu-ray or DVD release to speak of (which only served to highlight the importance of physical media in the streaming age). As for the why of it all? This was all done in an effort to cut costs. Even though streaming royalties are a fraction of what traditional television used to pay, it still costs money to have a show or movie on a platform. So, removing series like "The Premise" that weren't garnering a lot of viewership became a cost-saving measure.

This show is a shining example of the pitfalls of the streaming era. It boasts a stellar cast that includes the likes of Lucas Hedges ("Lady Bird"), Kaitlyn Dever ("The Last of Us"), Jon Bernthal ("The Punisher"), Tracee Ellis Ross ("Black-ish"), Daniel Dae Kim ("Hawaii Five-0"), O'Shea Jackson Jr. ("Den of Thieves 2: Pantera"), Ayo Edebiri ("The Bear"), and Boyd Holbrook ("Logan"), just to name a few. Yet, Disney couldn't justify keeping it on Hulu.

It remains confusing that Disney hasn't made "The Premise" available to rent on VOD through storefronts such as Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV, but this is far from the only show or movie that has happened to. "Willow," which was canceled after one season, isn't available on Disney+ and doesn't have a physical release to speak of.

While corporations are beginning to rationalize streaming strategies more, with an increasing number of titles coming to Blu-ray/DVD, others have managed to slip through the cracks. This is merely one such casualty of the streaming wars.